While Leo might be alone in his meditation on death, all the characters in The History of Love unite in their experiences of grief. Leo grieves for the loss of his beloved, the son he never knew, and a friend he can't even admit is gone. The members of Alma's family—her mother, her brother, herself—are grieving for the death of her father, David, in their own totally different ways. And as survivors of the Holocaust, Leo and Litvinoff represent the collective grief of the Jewish people.
Questions About Grief
- In looking for a new father, is Alma trying to soothe her mother's grief, or her own?
- Can we assume Bird's embrace of religion stems from grief?
- How do you imagine Leo's experience of grief before the various deaths of the Moritz family?
- Does Leo accomplish anything by breaking into Isaac's house after his death? Does this make him feel better or worse?